Dhanaraj Arumugam, a spokesman for Gerakan Menentang Penilaian Tebuk Atap (Gempita), said residents are disappointed with the Selangor government’s decision to review the PJD Link project following adjustments by the developer.
“We are also upset that the state government is not concerned about the welfare of the people or the sentiment on the ground,” he told FMT when met at today’s protest in Bandar Kinrara 2.
“We hope the project will remain cancelled permanently. We do not want the government to flip-flop on this issue.”
Gempita is an organisation dedicated to stopping the PJD Link project, which it believes would cause environmental harm to the areas surrounding the proposed highway.
Dhanaraj said the protest was supported by residents from Kampung Tunku, Taman Paramount, Taman Kinrara, Bandar Kinrara and Damansara.
FMT observed that while the protest turnout was modest with about 10 participants, several passing motorists expressed solidarity by honking.
The PJD Link would have connected the north and south of Petaling Jaya, passing through Petaling Jaya Utara, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Petaling Jaya city centre, Taman Dato’ Harun, Taman Medan Baru, Taman Sri Manja, Bandar Kinrara and Bukit Jalil Technology Park.
On July 4, Selangor infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman Izham Hashim said the PJD Link project’s latest proposal will be brought to the Selangor Economic Action Council for further review.
This decision followed the federal government’s request for the state to review the developer’s adjustments to five or six locations to see if they were acceptable.
In April, Putrajaya announced it would not proceed with the project after the concessionaire failed to meet six of 11 stipulated conditions.
Similarly, last year, Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari said the state government had decided to scrap the PJD Link project, though he later called for the developer to renegotiate the project’s alignment with Putrajaya.
Dhanaraj urged the government to focus on enhancing public transportation infrastructure rather than pursuing another highway project, which he believes would negatively impact the social and natural environment along the proposed route.
“We hope the government will cancel this project for good. Do not keep bringing this up. It is better for the government to focus on upgrading public transport instead,” he added.
He also slammed the latest social impact assessment (SIA) conducted by a consulting firm, claiming that it does not address the residents’ concerns, such as the potential decline in the value of property if the project proceeds.
“We want a new consulting firm to be appointed and the SIA to be transparent and reviewed by the public,” he added.